by A. M Martin
Igins
Elementum Novel
A.m Martin
Igins
Elementum Novel
Copyright © 2017 by A.M Martin
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations em- bodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organiza- tions, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Book and Cover design by Canvas Covers @Ashley Delaney
Canvas Covers
First Edition : July 2017
Glossery
Hi everyone. This is a glossary for those funky words that keep popin up in the story. :)
Elementum: Element
Ignis: Fire
Aeris: Air
Aqua: Water
Terra: Earth
Amor: Love
Amicitia: Friendship
Adstring: Bind
Cutos: Guardian
Celo: To hide, keep secret
Custodia: Protection
Adepto: Get
Advoco: To summon
Cusor: Messenger
Dux ducis: Commander
Expeto: to demand, require
Electus: Chosen
Festinatio: Haste
Ferus: Wild, untamed
Gens: Tribe, clan
Solum: Land
Bellus: Beautiful
Eligere: Elite
One
"Up. Basil get up now." My mom's harsh voice comes from above me, cutting into my sleep followed by her icy cold hands shaking my shoulders.
I let out a groan and turn my head to the right. The bright green numbers on my alarm clock read 1:00 am. I blink my eyes a couple of times. Yep still there. Greeeaaat.
"Basil. Get up and put a pair of shoes on. Now!"
I so do not want to get out of my comfy warm bed, but I should be used to this carp by now. My mom's a little paranoid. As far back as I can remember she does this to me once a week. Rush in here like a crazy person. Gets me up. So, we can practice her so called escape route. Why I have no idea. Like I said she's a little paranoid. What I don't understand is that we've already done this already. It's a weekly thing.
I get up and do as she says. I've learned the hard way, a bucket of cold ass water dumped on my head the hard way.
When my bare feet touch the hard wood floor, I get a full body shiver all over and start venting my dislike for this whole ordeal. But not too much. Remembering the water.
"Mom, what's going on?" I slip my tennis shoes on, sans socks. It’s to early. "We've already done this. Plus, I'm freakin sleepy and have a test first block."
My words go thorough one ear and out the other as she grabs my hand and drags me down the stairs speaking at the same time.
"They found us. Listen to me very carefully, if we get separated at any time, I need you to run and run fast as you can to the meadow at the edge, to the old giant oak." She hands me her necklace as we go running out the back door. The screen door banging shut after us.
I grip her necklace in my right fist. My knuckles are turning white for how hard I hold it. Prayin my heart won't beat out of my chest. Hoping the pain in my hand will ground me through all this craziness.
They found us. Who is she talking about? She's finally flipped her lid and scaring the carp out of me.
"Mom, what's going on? Who found us?" I ask with fear lacing my tone and a sickness in my belly.
She snaps back, "Listen. Take my pendent and slam it in the middle of the old oak. When you get to the other side, I need you to say 'Custodia. Advoco Ignis Dux ducis', Do not say anything else. Understand?"
Well, this part is new.
"No not okay. What is going on? What other side?" I yell.
She’s crazy. Finally flipped her led. I jerk my sweaty hand out of hers. We're at the edge of the yard just a few feet away is the lush forest. Dense and dark. I really hate the dark.
Her mouth opens, when a noise from the house causes her to close it making both of us spin around facing the back side of the old two-story farm house.
It feels like my heart jumps out of my chest. Saliva pools in my mouth as I hear muffled voices and stomping feet. She's not paranoid after all. She knew this was coming and our weekly runs through the woods actually meant something. Everything meant something.
She grabs my hand again and starts pulling me through the trees. I think my legs forgot how to move.
"Basil baby listen. You need do as I said. They can't find you. After you say those words a man will come, he'll be in armor and have either red, blue, or purple on him, somewhere. Once he gets there, you need to say, 'Expeto Ignis Eligere.'"
"What does that even mean?!" I screech out already pass my crazy limit as tears start their slow track down my cheeks.
"I'm your Cutos. I must protect you, and I want you to know that I love you with all of my heart. Sorry I never taught you everything you needed to know." She says with tears streaming down her tanned face.
This is bad. Really bad.
God's, I don't know what she's talking about. Other than this time it's real, and we're in danger. With that running through my mind, my pulse speeds up, my legs move faster, my breathing harder.
We reach a close grouping of trees when she pulls out two daggers from her back.
"Mom." I look at her with huge eyes and astonishment going through my face along with the fear that never goes away. The daggers just came out of know where. I’m mean poof. Nothing then minie swords.
"Another group of people will come. It may only be one or four but once they get there ask, 'Ignis Eligere' If they give a nod say, ' Custodia. Flamma. Cell.', Remember that baby and let them see your ring.”
I give her a slow nod while I repeat all the strange words over and over in my head.
"Then what?" I choke out.
She gives me a sad look, "All will be as it is meant to be."
"What?" I say even more dumb founded than before. I definitely don’t like the sound of that.
"Come out come out." A man's harsh voice rings out through the trees.
I think my heart stopped for a second.
Frightened blue eyes snap on me, "Run Basil Baby run. Do what I told you."
I just stare at her not moving. This isn't real. This is some crazy ass night mare, and I’m still tucked into my warm queen-sized bed. Just dreaming. Just having a night mare.
Shaking my shoulders, she says fiercely, "Run Ba." She pushes me behind her when a tall, bulky man steps through the trees. "RUN!"
Heart pounding tears are streaming down my face, I take off running through the dark, dense forest. Doing as she told me and trying not to panic too much.
I veer around trees and jump over stumps, my legs and arms getting scratched as I try to avoid tree limbs and fail. I'm almost there when I trip over something and fall flat on my face. Wonderful.
A groan slips out as I move. Trying to set up. My shoulder and cheek hurt other than that I'm fine. I go to get up when someone skids to a stop beside me. I try to move backwards as a scream flies from my lips.
"Shhh. It's me."
Mom. She helps me off the damp forest floor and starts dragging me behind her once more.
The trees start to then out letting the pale glow of the moon to shine down. My eyes widen as I get a good look at her.
It looks like she's been in a fight with a tree. Leaves are in her hair. Her face and arms are sporting thin bloody scratches. She looks awf
ul.
"Are you alright?" I ask breathlessly.
She gives me a nod as we splash through a small stream. The cold water floods my shoes, sending cold bumps all over my body.
We're close now, just beyond the cluster of trees and boulders is the meadow.
I start threading my way through the boulders when I'm hit by a powerful gust of wind. It sends me flying backwards, hitting one of the larger rocks. I slid down the rock, hitting the ground with a thud. Pain slashes through my body as I try to suck in air. I feel blood running down my neck. My pulse beats loud in my ears.
Gods, I'm sick of falling and what the hell was that?
When I'm no longer gasping for air, I sit up and see mom crouched down in front of me in a fighting stance. The mysterious daggers at her sides. Her head is snapping in every direction, looking for a threat.
"You okay?"
"Yeah. What was that?" I ask still tiring to catch my breath.
"Listen. When I say go. You run." She doesn't answer my question, her eyes flickering over every little thing around us.
I think we've both have lost our minds this night.
"Basil." Mom snaps at me. While I'm wondering if this is just a nightmare and hopefully I'll wake up soon.
I shake my head no. "I'm not leaving you."
"I’ll be right behind you. Promise."
I ran earlier when she told me to, but something right now is telling my gut if I run again without mom, it'll be the last time I see her. But I'm scared beyond words, and she's never broke a promise to me before. I'm trusting her not to break this one.
"You better be," I whisper out.
She gives me a nod and a small smile. I don't think she’ll be right behind me. Something in my gut and her eyes are telling me another story all together. A different, sadder story.
"I love you."
Sadness forms in her eyes, "I love you too baby always remember that."
I nod as tears start to fall again. Gods, it sounds like she is saying goodbye, a forever goodbye.
Hearing the snapping of twigs off to the right, my head snaps that way, and I squint my pale blue eyes in the darkness tiring to see.
A different man steps out in front of us, shorter than the last, at least I think he's different. He's too far away to tell. He doesn't get to say anything as a blue flame bursts from mom's hands and hits him in his wide chest.
"What-"
"Go!" Mom's scream cuts off my words.
"You promise," I say before I take off once more with tears on my face. I start my trek through and around the boulders, while a battle is raging on behind me.
Yep. This is a nightmare. People don't throw flames from their hands. Just do as mom says and eventually, you'll wake up.
At least that's what I'm going to keep telling myself.
It feels like forever, but I finally break through the boulders and trees into the meadow. Gasping for air.
The medadow is huge with tall light green grass that comes up to my knees and flowers of every color litter through it. I pause to catch my breath, holding the sharp pain in my side, only to take off again on shaky legs when I hear gruntle screams coming from behind me.
I reached the giant oak out of breath and tired I don't pause though. I slam the necklace right in the middle of the tree trunk even though it sounds crazy. But this is a nightmare. A bright white light shines from within the oak, and I move backwards away from it. Oh, my gods.
The light gets brighter and brighter till I have to shut my eyes. All of a sudden in baths me in its hot rays. An electric shock covers me from head to toe along with burning cold heat. I don't know what's going on. I start to panic as my body feels like it's collapsing in on its self and I can no longer breath.
two
A burning on my lower back jolts me awake. I whence as it spreads out to my sides and up around my hip bones. Once the feeling has faded, I un-scrunch my eyes, letting out a long breath of air.
I'm looking up so; I must be laying down on my back. I think I'm in a cave of some kind. Tree to cave. Yep. That's not weird at all.
The ceiling is grey with bumps and groves on it. Turing my head to the left, I'm right up against a cold grey wall. I stretch my hand out. Yep, it's rock. I take in a much-needed breath and turn my head to the right. I come face to face with bright ember eyes and snuck in the air holding my scream at bay. I scoot as close to the cool wall as I can get whispering, "Nice kitty."
"Calm yourself, dear." Comes an aged voice from behind the beastly.
I don't even look for the person, my eyes only on the thing that's about to eat me. Calm, yeah right.
It's huge. As big as a bear or larger, with sleek deep dark fur, a huge head and rectangular ears. I think it might be a really large cat. Maybe. Maybe not. At least it hasn't tried to make me its dinner. Yet.
"It's alright dear."
Gods, he's annoying. And it's definitely not alright.
Taking my eyes off this.... this cat for a second, I find the owner of the Irish lit voice. At least I think it's Irish.
It's an old man. Grey hair and wrinkles everywhere. He's standing slightly off to the side behind the beast, but my eyes don't stay on him. They snap back to the huge creature.
It tilts its wide head to the side; I stiffen up as it stretches out beside the pile of blankets I'm lying on, examining me. It seems sort of human like. The way it's eyes are taking me in.
"He won't hurt you, dear. He's your soul's heart."
"What?" I snap my mouth close before I say anything else. He's crazy, just like mom and well me. I did imagine being sucked through a tree.
Souls heart. Shooting flames. Light sucking trees. What a nightmare.
Remembering what mom said I got to speak, "Custaodia. Advoco Ingis Dux ducis." I let out a relieved breath when it sounds sort of similar to how mom said it.
The cat finally decides to move. I watch it like a hawk as it stretches again and moves towards my feet. My tense muscles loosen up a little bit since it’s no longer at my head.
I look over to the old man to see if he heard me and noticed his black eyes are wide and wonderment is written across his aged face. He lets out a laugh making me flinch as his chuckle shakes his old, frail body.
"You know the language of the old, huh. Well, what's your name dear?"
"Custaodia. Advoco Ignis Dux ducis." I say a little forceful this time.
"Okay. I'll be back in a moment dear." He retreats to a lighted opening, and now I'm left alone. Well, not really alone. The monster of a cat is still here.
That was easier than I thought it was going to be, but this is still some kind of nightmare.
Right? I hope so.
I start to slowly stand up checking every so often, making sure the cat stays put and thankfully it does.
Once I'm up and no longer under the covers I get a cold chill from H. Looking around I spot a small fire pit in what I guess is the middle of the cave. A table and four chairs set off to the right of the fire pit. Further back I spot some kind of bed with a trunk at the end of it. I'm in the stone age.
Nightmare. Nightmare.
"I sent a messenger dear."
I jump at the sound of the old man's voice. I didn't even here him come back in.
"Come sit." He points to a chair and shuffles over and takes a seat.
I slowly walk over and sit down. When that cat gets up and comes to lay behind me in the shadows, my tense muscles tense up more, and I get that nervous butterfly feeling in my belly. My hands shake.
The old man notices, "He won't hurt you like I said."
I give him a shrug and scoot closer to the table.
He gives me a curious look, "So, where are you from?" Pause. "What about a name, hmm."
We stare at each other, and he offers me a smile, "Oaky. Well, I'm the Gate Keeper. Do you know where you are?"
I think about his question. Mom said not to speak, but she didn't say anything about shaking my head. I do just that and shake my head no.
Of course, I don't know where I am. A dang tree gobbled me up.
That gets me another smile from the old gate keeper, "Well then that’s a start. This is Elementum. To be more precise the Neutral Hills. Ring any bells dear?"
I shake my head no again.
Just a nightmare. A strange nightmare. Wake up.
"Well, it seems you’re from the Ignis Gen and a warrior to boot." He states like I should know this already.